The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-01-06
MIR. STEVENS CASE.
A Methodist Preacher Restored After
Thirteen Years of Wandcrings.

I
Thirteen Years of Wandcrings.
ORANGEBuEG, S. c., Dec. 2o.-After
reading the minutes and some few mat
ters OF course were attended to, Bishop
Cranberry said he would take up the case
of A. B. Stevens, which had been made
the order for 10 O'clock.
This is one of those remarkable epi.
sodes which could happen 10 where else
but on the floor of n Methodist confer.
ence.
It appears that thirty two years ago
Mr.. Stevens was admitted To the confer
ence, and for nineteen years continued to
exercise his gifts aud graces as a preach
er. Iu 1878, however, charges Of gross
immortality we're preferred against him
while presiding elder Of the Grcenvi!le
district, and after searching investiga-
ton he was pronounced guilty and expell-
Ell from the ministry and the church, the
case creating a wide spread sensation at
the time. For several years lie has heen
restored to membership iii The church in
Colleton, and being man OF fine educa'
tiop, high impulses and an excellent
preacher, he has taken an active part in
church work, aud having been licensed
to preach by his own quarterly confer
ence, he has been preaching very accep-
tably in the country around. his home on
the Walterboro circuit He has come to
believe that he couit! be more useful as
local preacher if he was restored to his
order as an elder, which would give him
authority to administer the sacraments of
the church, and la!teriy has been encour'
aged to make his application to the con.
ference for that purpose.
On Saturday he was invited To speak
to the conference, and in very earnest
and impassioned address reviewed the
history of his earlier connection with the
body and the painful circumstances
which had resulted in his exclusion from
their fellowship, declaring that the ten
years, including bis TALL and his expul-
sion aud subsequent wanderings from the
fold, has been a period Of extreme bodily
and mental and moral imbeciiity, which
he could never understand. He then
related The remarkable manner in which
few years since, by the mercy Of God,
he had found himself suddenly restored
in mind, body and spirit and TO the favor
of God, and his subsequent yearning to
return to the church and the work oil the
ministry and life Of usefulness in the
Masters service.
The impassioned appeal to his breth.
reu was listened to With profound attcn-
ton and stirred the emotions of the
strong men who heard him, impressing
sill with the sincerity Of his purpose TO
restorc If possible the bond of fellowship
which had been SO rudely broken a>un,
der.
As stated in the proceedings of Satur'
day, after proracled discussion the
the case WAS made the special order for
10 o'clock this morning.
When it was called, Re-. S. 3. Jones
submitted the following letter from Mr..
Stevens:
ORASGEBURG, S. G., Dec. 20, 1886.
70 tie Bishop md members Of the South
Carolina Confercnee-DEAE BRETHREN T:
regret exceedingly that under the en-,
barrassments Of my position, when ap.
peared befnro you on Saturday last, did
not succeed in making myself understood
Alright.
desire to say cmphalicaiy ,hst am
conscious Of having committed grave Of
fences, for which was expelled from the
communion of the church but tina! now,
as l nave obtained forgiveness from the
Lord and q conscious restoration to His
favor, ask that same forgiveness at the
hands Of my brethren.
(S;gncd A. 3. STEVENS.
On motion of DR.. Jones, the confer.
ence, with but one dissenting vote, re.
stored the credentials. The dissent came
from Rev. William Martin, who said lie
met with the same difficulty as lie had
expressed on Saturday, that he saw moth
ing in the communication to indicate a
spiri: of repentance for the sin commit.
ted, ard therefore could not vote fot the
molion-Speciat Correspondence Of the
Register.